Susanne Lerescu, the sommelier at Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs Resort , said the Alba chambourcin "really surprised me; it had the style of an Old World wine, like a pinot noir from Europe."

New Jersey wines are put to the test

New Jersey wines are put to the test at tastingStar-Ledger Wine Columnist John Foy invites Sommelier Susanne Lerescu and wine collector Gary Borntrager to taste and rate wines made in New Jersey.(Video by Shawn Simons/ The Star-Ledger)

It's bottling season at New Jersey’s Alba Vineyard

It's bottling season at New Jersey's Alba Vineyard According to Tom Sharko, owner of Alba Vineyards in Warren County, New Jersey's wine industry has been making great strides over the past few years. The geological feature of the Musconetcong Valley, where he grows his grapes, is very unique and well suited to growing some of the finest fruit anywhere. Alba produces around 16,000 cases of wine per year. By comparison, a large west-coast winery might produce 1.6 million cases or more. But for Sharko, it’s not about the quantity. He trains his vines to produce fewer, but better grapes, resulting in a higher quality product. (Video by Andre Malok/The Star-Ledger)